Saturday, October 31, 2015

It's the calm before the storm and the goblins haven't come out yet to terrorize the neighbourhood. Sadly the annual Toronto Zombie Walk didn't happen this year but maybe the undead will come out to play next year? Here are some brain seeking zombies coming for you.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Photography was Joe's hobby, his passion was stock car racing and he got his chance to combine the two happened when photographer and friend Chris Mann introduced him to Inside Track Motosport News Magazine editor Greg MacPherson. It's time to look at some of Joe Hamilton's racing photos - especially the crashes and smoky skids.

Joe's favourite racing was the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (formerly CASCAR) and he loved drivers like Scott Steckly and Jason Hathaway and his wife Jamie along with team sponsors and promoters like Linda Jones. Besides the racing he also really enjoyed the photographers and media professionals that he met on the ovals and street courses, professionals like Joel Robinson, Todd Lewis, Paolo Pedicelli, Ed Gartner, Derek Smith, Ramesh Bayney and J Wally Nesbitt.

In addition to Inside Track Joe also worked with Kathleen Stelmach from Torchia Communications the Public Relations firm working with Honda Indy Toronto. He also was able to photograph events thanks to help from PR professionals like Jerry Priddle of Accelerate Marketing & Communications Inc and Colleen McCourt from Strategy plus Communications.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Verizon IndyCar Series has been set and the upcoming 16-race season places the annual Exhibition Place event back to its mid-summer slot from July 15-17. Celebrating 30 years of racing on the streets of Toronto since the inaugural 1986 event, the three-day festival returns to its traditional July dates after having to move into June 2015 to avoid the Pan Am Games. The Verizon Series headlines the weekend of festivals and racing in Toronto which is Ontario's largest annual sporting event

The series has been extended five weeks and includes new races in Phoenix, Road America and Boston. "IndyCar has experienced a 38 percent growth in both television ratings and viewership over the past two years with longstanding TV partners ABC and NBCSN and the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season is poised to capitalize and build upon that momentum. The most diverse schedule in motorsports features five races on oval tracks, five on permanent road courses and six on temporary street circuits."

"Honda Indy Toronto has been a summer staple for generations of Torontonians and festivalgoers from across Ontario and beyond,"said Jeff Atkinson, newly-appointed President of Honda Indy Toronto. "We’re working hard on growing the festival programming to create an event that is fun, exciting for all ages, and that builds on its legacy and connects with the history of the race."

In addition to IndyCar there will also be the Mazda Road to Indy series - Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, the Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe will return to the series after his major May 2014 crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"This obviously is such a special weekend for me, I remember coming to this race as a kid and really falling in love with INDYCAR while I stood at the fence watching the cars," said James Hinchcliffe, Verizon IndyCar Series driver of the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. "Now, to be able to come back on the other side of that fence and race in my hometown is awesome. The track, the city, the fans, everything about this weekend makes it the best stop on the calendar. I'm glad we got the old date back because now it really is like Christmas in July again."

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Spice up your life with the weekend consumer romance show at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place from October 23-25. The weekend long event moved out of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and down to the Lakeshore grounds.

'It's packed with tantalizing stage shows, educational seminars, live erotic art performances, a kinky playroom, and a whole lot of shopping! The Everything To Do With Sex Show is geared towards singles, couples, and groups looking to spice up their lives.'

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The road to the mining town runs through some impressive rock cuts in the Canadian Shield and along mixed hardwood and coniferous forests. Much of the forests north of the GTA are already past peak but you can still find some patches of deciduous leaves providing some pretty Fall colours along the way. Where the leaves have left the building you can find plenty of stark, white trunks of the birch tree.

"The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest is dominated by hardwood forests, featuring species such as maple, oak, yellow birch, white and red pine. Coniferous trees such as white pine, red pine, hemlock and white cedar, commonly mix with deciduous broad-leaved species, such as yellow birch, sugar and red maples, basswood and red oak. Much of the forest in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest is uneven aged, meaning that young and old trees can be found within the same group of trees."

It is also a pleasure driving along the new highway north of Barrie which is currently being upgraded by the government.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Cold days are coming and so is the 28th Toronto Snowmobile, ATV & Powersports Show. Appearing at the International Centre from October 23-25, 2015 this is your chance get stoked for the frozen white stuff. Machines are inside, the freestyle display features X Game gold medalist Heath Frisby and is located outside the front entrance and 30 feet in the air!

"The sickest, electrifying Freestyle display in Canada! This thrilling snowmobile & ATV event leaves spectators tingling with anticipation of what these riders will come up with next! New this year will be Freestyle ATVing! Crazy tricks, the most daring jumps, and the one that always has the crowd gasping for air…Join Heath Frisby, X Game Gold medalist as he performs snowmobile back flips! The Extreme Freestyle Event is sponsored by Ultimax Belts. Show times will be posted at the Front Entrance to the show and also in the official show program, distributed at the entrance of the show."

The snowmobiles, ATVs and bikes fit into 375,000 square feet and you can drool over manufacturer displays by Yamaha, Arctic Cat, Ski-Doo/Can-am and Polaris, Honda and Kawasaki along with checking out the classic and antique sleds.

The DAYCO HP/HPX 120 Snowmobile Race will have Mini ATVs and their pint-sized races as the big boys put on Freestyle Snowmobiles show that will blow you away. "The level of excitement that a notable Freestyle rider such as Heath Frisby, and the sport of Snowmobile Freestyle brings to the Show is incredible. The tricks that Heath is capable of are unreal."

It's a beautiful time to get around and enjoy the changing colours throughout the GTA. I did a quick jaunt around the lovely Halton Hills which features the Credit River, several waterfalls and quite a few parks.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

My brother, Joe Hamilton, fought cancer for two and a half years before it finally overwhelmed him and he passed away today.

Update: Joe's Celebration of Life is Saturday, October 24, 2015 at Wards Funeral Home in Brampton. Anyone who knew Joe and wanted to drop by is more than welcome. If anyone wants to pass this on to those they think may want to attend, please do so with my thanks. UPDATE: The post Celebration will be held at the Peel Art Gallery (9 Wellington Street E, Brampton) just a quick walk around the corner.

Joe and James

Joe was an amazing photographer and besides contributing to this blog, he was also a photographer for Inside Track Motorsport News Magazine. His story is typical of those with the disease that strikes so many, sore one day, diagnosed within a week, given a year to live and survived much longer before the death sentence finally came to take him away.

The battle against terminal cancer is a battle against both the failing body and crushing depression. To keep fighting with failing health and a guaranteed best before date is one that is hard to contemplate for those diagnosed with cancer along with friends and family of the affected. The continued spread of the disease wears down the mind and as a result, several times Joe wanted to stop chemo. He was in the midst of another bout of chemo when he had trouble talking and a CT scan showed that the cancer had made its way to the brain. Radiation treatment failed to halt the affects and Joe suddenly took a turn for the worse on Thursday morning.

Many of this blog's readers have met Joe and will also miss him and his sense of humour. I know that I lost a close friend and brother who I loved very much. Thanks to those who extended the hand of kindness and friendship. In the end it was those relationships and his memories that kept him from despair.

In addition to his oncology health team, the palliative care team that came to his home with treatment and support were a fantastic group of people - a special thank you from Joe Hamilton's family.

Doors Open

Scarborough Bluffs

Pride

Redball

Beaches

Graffiti

Lake Ontario

Nathan Phillips Square

Transportation

About Me

Covering the adventure and excitement of life, sports, entertainment and more in Canada's largest city - with over 41 million content views and over 1.7 million YouTube views ... Join me as I explore the streets and venues that are found in our beautiful metropolitan community.